A Child is Born
by IndyGirl89
Summary: Anna and Kristoff spend an agonizing morning waiting for the birth of their first child. (I know this seems overdone, but I wanted to do my own.) Set three years after Frozen but a month before "Family Ties". One-shot.


**Hello, my lovelies, I'm back with another fluffy one-shot! This one is about Anna giving birth to Kirsten. If you remember, I first introduced her in "Family Ties". So chronologically, this is set a month before that, making this sort of a "mini-prequel". I figured since I wrote a scene like this for Elsa in "Opening New Doors" that I'd write one for Anna. I would've written it before "Family Ties", but back then, I was still getting comfortable with the characters and writing fanfiction in general that I wasn't comfortable writing a scene like this yet. But now I am, and this should be more than satisfactory for those of you who like scenes like these. :) Anyway, hope you enjoy! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen or any of its characters. Only Kirsten is mine. **

* * *

In the castle of Arendelle, all was still and quiet. The only sound was of the grandfather clock down the hall chiming the hour of four. Anna groaned and shifted restlessly in the bed she shared with Kristoff, but her large stomach made it difficult. She hadn't been able to sleep comfortably in any position in the last few months of her pregnancy, which meant that she hadn't been getting as much sleep as she was used to.

She rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling, absentmindedly stroking her swollen belly. She was excited for the baby to come, but also a little anxious. Were she and Kristoff ready for a baby? They were only twenty-one and twenty-four, respectively. They weren't entirely sure they even knew how to take care of one. Elsa wasn't married, so there was really no one to show them how. But at least she wasn't the only one with conflicting emotions. Just the other day, Kristoff had confessed to her how nervous and anxious he was about the baby.

It had been evening, and they had been sitting together on their bed, Anna under the covers and wearing a nightgown, as she had been the last month or so of her pregnancy. Dr. Olsen, the family doctor, had given her strict orders to go on bed rest for the last month. Knowing how restless and antsy she would get when she had to sit still for long periods of time, Kristoff had tried to spend every moment he could with her to try to keep her from going crazy. But the ice harvesting season was fast approaching and he was trying to get together all the necessary supplies and equipment. So considering all that, in reality, he hadn't been as concerned about her as he had been about himself. This especially included the times when Anna sent him down to the kitchen at all hours of the day and night to fix her some new, weird food craving. He had protested almost every time, but deep down, he loved her too much to say no.

On this particular evening, Kristoff had just gotten back from the kitchen with Anna's latest food craving, deep-fried lutefisk dipped in chocolate. The thought alone was enough to make his stomach churn, not to mention the sight and the smell of it. But Anna had just given him a loving smile and a sweet "thank you", and then had proceeded to gobble the whole thing within five minutes. He had waited until she had licked the last remnants of chocolate from her fingers before broaching the subject that had been weighing heavily on his mind for the past month or so.

"Anna?" he said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she answered. She was now knitting a blanket for the baby; or at least trying to. She kept dropping stitches and having to start over. Sewing and embroidering was one thing, but knitting was something she just wasn't good at and didn't have much patience for.

There was a moment of silence while Kristoff tried to gather his thoughts. "Are—are you excited?" he asked. "You know, about the baby and all?"

"Of course I am," she answered, frowning because she had just dropped yet another stitch. "It's the third best thing to ever happen to me."

"Uh, third?" Kristoff asked, smiling. "What was first and second?"

"Reconnecting with Elsa and marrying you, silly," she said, leaning over and pecking him on the cheek. But then she noticed the look on his face, which was a mix of worry and anxiety. "What's wrong, Kristoff? Aren't you excited for the baby?"

"Of course I am!" he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "It's just….." He trailed off.

"Kristoff," said Anna, laying aside her knitting and cupping his face with her soft hands. "I know it's never been easy for you to share your feelings with anyone, but you know you can always tell me."

"I know," said Kristoff, covering her hands with his. "It's just—"

But she silenced him with a kiss. "Kristoff, it's okay," she said, smiling. "You can be honest with me."

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "The truth is, I'm scared to death."

"Of what?" Anna asked.

"That I won't make a good father," he said, so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

"Kristoff, you'll make a great father," said Anna, smiling at him.

"But I don't know how to take care of a baby," he said. "You know I was raised by trolls, so until I met you, I was never really around any humans, especially babies."

"I understand, Kristoff," said Anna. "And you know what? I'm a little scared, too."

Kristoff looked at her. His expression was a mixture of shock and relief. "Really?" he asked.

"Of course," said Anna, smiling again. "Every soon-to-be new parent has fears."

"Why are you scared?" Kristoff asked her.

"For the same reasons you are," Anna answered. "That I won't know how to take care of the baby. I mean, let's face it; it's been six years since I had a mother figure. And Elsa isn't married yet, so there's really no one around to show me how to be a mother."

Kristoff took her hands in his own. "You'll make a wonderful mother," he said, and kissed her.

"And you'll make a wonderful father," Anna whispered. "This baby will have the best parents in the world."

"Got that right," said Kristoff, and they kissed again.

Thinking about that evening made Anna smile, and some of her anxiety started to ease. That is, until she felt a sudden, sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

She sat up, drew in a sharp breath, and waited it out. After a few seconds, the pain abated and she was able to breathe more normally. Before waking Kristoff, she decided to wait for another one, timing the minutes in between. After about fifteen minutes, she felt another sharp pain and then a gush of fluids leaving her body. Her water had just broken. The baby was on its way.

She looked over at Kristoff, who was still sleeping, apparently not having been disturbed by her labored breathing. He looked so peaceful, and the way he snored lightly was adorable. Normally, seeing him like this, she would leave him be. But this was an emergency.

"Kristoff," she whispered, shaking him gently. He grunted but didn't stir. She shook him harder and raised her voice a little "Kristoff!"

He moaned and shifted slightly. "What is it?" he mumbled sleepily.

"It's time," said Anna breathlessly. She tensed as another pain hit. "The baby – it's coming."

"What?" Kristoff mumbled, not registering what she had just said.

"The baby's coming, Kristoff!" said Anna, louder and more urgently this time.

Something finally clicked in Kristoff's mind and he sat bolt upright, suddenly wide awake. "The baby!" he said, looking around at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," said Anna, breathing heavily as yet another pain shot through her. "My water broke just a few minutes ago."

Kristoff immediately started panicking. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He had started rambling.

"Kristoff, I'm fine," said Anna, trying not to laugh at his anxiousness. "Right now, all I need is Elsa. She'll take care of everything else."

"Okay, I'll go get her," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Just hang in there. I'll be right back." And he disappeared into the darkened hallway.

Anna remained sitting on the bed, her legs now dangling over the edge, deeply breathing in and out. After a few minutes, she heard a scurrying out in the hall before the door burst open and Elsa rushed in, wearing nothing but an icy blue nightgown and robe, her hair a tangled mess to her waist.

She knelt down in front of Anna. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm okay," said Anna, though the pain in her abdomen said otherwise. "But it hurts. Oh Elsa, it hurts so much."

"I know," said Elsa, taking her hands and squeezing them gently. "But I'll be right here every minute. I won't leave you."

"Promise?" Anna asked.

"Promise," Elsa said, smiling.

"Thanks," said Anna, smiling back. "Where's Kristoff?" She had suddenly noticed that he wasn't there.

"I sent him to get the midwife," Elsa answered.

As if on cue, the door burst open again, revealing the midwife, an older, matronly woman, with Kristoff right behind her. She was carrying a kettle, a washbasin, and an armload of fresh towels. She immediately set about making preparations, laying out fresh towels and heating water for the baby's first bath. She then turned to Kristoff.

"Sir, I'll need you to wait outside while I prepare Princess Anna for delivery," she said.

"What? No!" said Kristoff, striding over to Anna and laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm staying here with my wife." He smiled down at Anna and she smiled back, though a little weakly.

"Sir, it is very unconventional for a man to be present during delivery," said the midwife.

"But isn't a doctor sometimes present?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes, but a doctor is usually on hand only if there are complications," the midwife explained.

"Let him stay," said Anna.

The midwife stared at her. "But, Your Highness—"

"I said let him stay," said Anna in a quiet but deadly voice.

The midwife looked at Elsa, who was giving her one of her famed icy cold glares. "Very well," she relented. "On one condition: If Princess Anna or I ask you to leave, for any reason, you must do so."

"Understood," said Kristoff.

"And one more thing," said the midwife. "Due to the pain Princess Anna will be feeling, she might yell things at you. Do not take it to heart. Childbirth is long and difficult and puts a lot of stress on the soon-to-be mother."

"All right," said Kristoff, a little nervously. "Where am I allowed to stand or sit?"

"Wherever Princess Anna allows you," the midwife answered.

"Okay," said Kristoff. He just stayed by the edge of the bed on Anna's side, and she didn't protest, not having much strength to do so.

"Now then," said the midwife, getting down to business. "Princess Anna, how are you feeling?"

"Okay," Anna answered. "The pains are about fifteen minutes apart."

"How long ago did your water break?" the midwife asked.

"About twenty minutes ago," said Anna.

"Then we should have plenty of time," said the midwife. "Judging from the length of time between your pains, you're still in the early stages of labor. For right now, I want you to put this special birthing gown on and then I'll check your progress, okay?"

"Okay," said Anna. She took the gown from the midwife and Kristoff proceeded to help her into it. He then helped settle her on the bed, propped up by some pillows.

The midwife then came over to check her progress. "Hmm," she said. "It looks like you're about three fingertips dilated. As you're still in the early stages of labor, it could be a while yet before you're fully dilated."

"How long is a while?" Kristoff asked uncertainly, holding Anna's hand.

"It could be anywhere from a few hours to several," the midwife answered.

"Several?!" Anna yelped, but just then, another pain hit her. She gripped Kristoff's hand so hard he thought it would break. And that was saying something, considering how large his hands actually were.

Elsa, who had been silent this whole time, listening to the midwife, finally spoke up. "Are there any….complications to consider?" she asked, trying to stay calm for Anna's sake.

"I do not foresee any problems, Your Majesty," the midwife answered. "Your sister is young, healthy, and strong, and I have full confidence that she will make it through."

"But—you said it could take several hours," Elsa said.

"It's just an approximation, Your Majesty," said the midwife. "And it's different for every woman. But considering that your sister's pains are still somewhat far apart, it could very well be that long."

Elsa looked over at Anna and Kristoff. He had found a chair and was now sitting right at the edge of the bed next to Anna, who was resting her head on his shoulder. She looked back at the midwife.

"What should we do in the meantime?" she asked her.

"For right now, the best thing for her to do is to rest as much as possible between each pain," the midwife answered. "She'll need her strength for when she's ready to deliver."

"Very well," said Elsa. "I will make sure she doesn't leave her bed. It won't be an easy feat, though. She's been bedridden for the past month and is frankly quite tired of it." She smiled in spite of herself.

"Well, just keep a close watch on her," said the midwife, and she suddenly yawned. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I think I'll go back to my quarters and try to get some sleep. If her pains get worse, or anything changes, notify me immediately."

"Thank you, we will," said Elsa, smiling. The midwife nodded and left, closing the door softly behind her. Elsa went back over to Anna and sat next to her on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," said Anna, trying to smile, but just then, another contraction hit. She gritted her teeth and grimaced while she bore through it, crushing Kristoff's hand in the process. When it was over, she exhaled and threw her head back on the pillows. "That was one of the worst ones yet. Elsa, thank you so much for being here."

"Where else would I be?" Elsa asked, smiling at her.

* * *

_A few hours later….._

Kristoff was sitting alone in the family's private dining room, a plate of food on the table in front of him. He knew he should eat; he hadn't eaten since dinner last night. But he was so anxious about Anna that his stomach was in knots. Since the food was set in front of him, he had only taken a few bites before pushing the plate away, too queasy to eat any more.

He hadn't heard anything since Anna and Elsa had kicked him out almost an hour ago. Though she was still a couple hours from delivering, Anna's pains were getting worse and were now only a few minutes apart. Seeing Anna in so much pain because of him had made him even more anxious than he already was, and he had almost lost it right then and there. It was then that the sisters had kicked him out, despite his protests.

Now here he was, sitting alone, with nothing, not even his ice business, to distract him from his anxiety. As it was still early in the season, and since he was the official Ice Master and Deliverer, he was able to take off for a few days to be with Anna and the baby. Up until now, it had been the longest morning of his life. Never had he felt so helpless. He wanted to help, to be with Anna, but he knew that neither sister would let him in again until the baby was born. He just hoped it wasn't too much longer.

Shuffling footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Gerda came into the room, apparently to check if he had eaten. He stood up quickly. Knowing how close she was to the royal family, he hoped she had news, as she was his last hope of contact.

"Sir Kristoff, you've hardly eaten," she said, noticing his plate of hardly-touched food. "You're not hungry?"

Ignoring her last comment, he asked her, "Have you heard anything? About Anna, I mean?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't," said Gerda, sounding apologetic. "But I shouldn't worry, sir. I'm sure the princess is doing just fine."

"You don't have any doubts?" Kristoff asked, surprised.

"Of course I do," Gerda answered. "But knowing her as long as I have, I know that she's a fighter and won't give up. She's a strong and determined young woman. She'll make it through."

Kristoff silently agreed, but he was still worried. "I have to be near her," he said. "If I can't be in the room with her, then I'll wait outside the door." He stepped away from the table and pushed his chair in before racing to the door. "Thank you, Gerda, for the meal. I'm sorry I didn't finish it."

Before Gerda could say anything else, he had run out into the hall. He took the stairs two at a time and hurtled around corners before coming to the hallway where his and Anna's bedroom was. He put his ear to the door, but couldn't hear anything. He raised his hand to knock, but then remembered why he was out in the hall in the first place. He was too anxious to sit, so he started pacing back and forth in front of the door. If he couldn't be there for Anna inside their room, he would be there for her out here. He would wait all day if he had to. The next couple of hours would certainly prove that theory.

* * *

Behind the door, Anna was in intense pain, and had been for the last couple of hours. It was just after noon, so she had been in labor for more than seven hours. Her pains were now less than a minute apart, which meant she was very close to delivering. When her contractions had gotten more intense, Elsa had called for Gerda, who had then sent for the midwife. The older woman was now bustling around, making final preparations: heating more water and laying out fresh towels and blankets.

Elsa had kept her promise and hadn't left Anna's side once. Due to the anxiety she herself was feeling for Anna, she was worried that her powers would spiral out of control. But then she'd remember how much she loved her sister, and so nothing would escape. When her hands weren't being crushed by Anna, she sent cold puffs of air across her face to help cool her down.

"You're doing fine, Anna, just keep breathing," Elsa said in a soothing voice. "It'll all be over soon."

"Oh, Elsa, I've never been in so much pain in my life," Anna moaned. "I just want this all to be over so the pain stops."

"I know," Elsa said, stroking her sister's hair with one of her pleasantly cool hands. "But it'll all be worth it in the end."

Anna tried to smile, but another pain hit, and she grimaced. The last time she could remember being in such pain was after Elsa had accidentally frozen her heart three years ago. The pain she had felt while she had been freezing to death had been excruciating. But nothing could compare to what she was feeling right now.

Just then, the midwife came over to check Anna's progress. "I think we're just about ready," she said, and checked between her legs. "Yes, you're fully dilated." She grabbed a stool to sit on and a fresh towel to wipe the baby off. "Now, on your very next contraction, Your Highness, I need you to push. Are you ready?"

"Are you kidding?" Anna said, trying to inject a bit of humor. "I've been ready for the last month." But a minute later, all joking was aside as her next contraction hit. She gripped Elsa's hand harder than ever before and pushed as hard as she could, while the midwife shouted encouragement from the end of the bed.

"That's it! Keep going! Keep going! Good girl! Good girl! There's the head! The head is out! Now, just one more big push and this baby will be here!"

Elsa thought her hand would break as Anna squeezed even tighter while pushing with all the strength she had left to get her baby out. She screamed and growled until suddenly, she stopped, there was silence, and then a high-pitched cry.

"It's a girl!" the midwife shouted.

Upon hearing those words, Anna smiled and collapsed onto the pillows, completely exhausted. She looked at Elsa, who was smiling at her with pride.

"You did really well, Anna," she said. "I knew you could do it."

"Thank you so much for being here," said Anna, squeezing her sister's hand one last time before finally releasing it.

"You're welcome," said Elsa, smiling again.

Once the baby was clean, the midwife wrapped her in a clean blanket and handed her to Anna. She looked just like her mother: wide blue eyes, fair skin, freckles, and a cute little nose, but with a tuft of light blonde hair like her father's. Anna gazed down at her in complete wonder. How could she, the princess of clumsiness and imperfection, have created something so beautiful and so perfect?

"Isn't she beautiful, Elsa?" she asked, gently stroking her baby daughter's cheek.

"Well, she takes after her mother," said Elsa quietly.

Anna looked up at her in surprise. "Oh, Elsa, do you really mean that?" she asked.

"Of course I mean it," Elsa replied. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"I love you, Elsa," Anna said, smiling at her sister.

"I love you, too," Elsa said, also smiling.

"I think it's safe to let Kristoff back in," said Anna.

"Okay, I'll go find him," said Elsa, standing up and smoothing the dress she had changed into a short while ago. "Stay put."

"Elsa, I'm so tired and sore, I couldn't move even if I wanted to," said Anna, laughing.

"You can never be too careful, especially when it comes to you," said Elsa, smirking. "I'll be right back."

"Elsa!" said Anna in mock outrage. But Elsa just continued smirking and kept walking.

She opened the door to find Kristoff pacing back and forth in the hall. She cleared her throat softly. He turned so suddenly that she was startled and snowflakes shot from her fingertips.

"How is she?" he asked, a look of worry still etched on his face.

"She's fine," Elsa answered after she had composed herself. "They're both just fine."

Kristoff's look of worry was replaced by one of shock. "You mean—?" he started, but the words got stuck in his throat.

Elsa nodded, seeming to understand what he had been about to say. "Congratulations, Kristoff," she said, smiling. "You're the father of a beautiful baby girl."

Kristoff just stood there, trying to wrap his head around this fact. He was a father. _A father_. He could hardly believe it. He was finally a father!

"Would you like to see them?" Elsa asked, interrupting his silent cheering.

"Can—can I?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course," said Elsa, smiling again and allowing him to enter the room first.

But the scene that met his eyes made him instantly freeze right inside the door. Anna was propped up on several pillows and her head was bent over a small bundle of blankets in her arms. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face still shone from sweat, but Kristoff thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Elsa cleared her throat again and Anna looked up, smiling when she saw who it was. "Kristoff, come meet your daughter," she said.

Kristoff shuffled forward, feeling suddenly awkward. Anna laughed. "Kristoff, it's okay, it's just me," she said. She motioned for him to come closer, which he did, settling himself on the chair next to the bed. Anna pulled back the blankets so he could see his new infant daughter. She smiled at the look of awe on his face.

"Want to hold her?" she asked.

"Are—are you sure?" Kristoff asked, looking at her.

"Kristoff, she's your daughter," Anna said. "Here." And she carefully handed him the bundle. He stiffened at first, and then slowly relaxed, smiling down at her.

"She looks like you," Kristoff said.

"She looks like you, too," said Anna.

"What are we naming her?" he asked, gently stroking his daughter's cheek.

"Well," said Anna thoughtfully. "I was thinking Kirsten."

"Kirsten," Kristoff repeated.

"After you," said Anna quietly.

Kristoff looked up at her, surprised. "Me?" he asked.

"Well, yes," Anna said, a bit hesitantly. "Kristoff, during the great freeze, you were there for me when no one else was. You agreed to take me up the North Mountain when anyone else would have refused, and you cared for me enough that you were willing to let me go."

"Well, I was against taking you up there," said Kristoff.

"Yes, but that didn't stop you," said Anna, laying a hand on his arm.

"You bribed me," said Kristoff, smiling at her.

"But those were just things," said Anna quietly. "We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. You saved me, Kristoff. The truth is I could never repay you for what you did."

"Well, I think this comes pretty close," said Kristoff, and he leaned forward and kissed her.

"I love you," Anna said when they had broken apart.

"I love you, too, feisty pants," said Kristoff, smiling again. "I really wish you hadn't kicked me out, though."

"Well, it was for your own good," said Anna, scowling playfully at him. "Right, Elsa?"

Kristoff started and looked around at Elsa, who was standing just a few feet away, watching the scene in front of her. He had been so lost in Anna and his new daughter that he had almost forgotten she was there.

"I'm staying out of this," she said, smiling and holding up her hands.

"Well, it was," said Anna defensively.

"Was it?" Kristoff asked.

"Kristoff, you should have seen your face," said Anna, her playful tone gone. "I was worried you were going to faint. You unconscious was the last thing I needed."

"Actually, in defense of Kristoff, I must say he was doing fairly given the circumstances," said Elsa, coming forward.

"Thank you, Elsa," said Kristoff, smiling up at her. "Now, I know of one person in this room who hasn't said hello to the newest family member yet, and that would be you." He stood up carefully and tried to hand Kirsten over to her, but she backed away, clutching her hands to her chest.

"No, that's okay," said Elsa. "I think today should just be for you as a family."

"Elsa, you _are_ family," said Anna. "And in case you forgot, the family motto is 'Love Will Thaw'."

"No," said Elsa, shaking her head. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," said Kristoff, and before she could protest further, he gently placed Kirsten in her arms.

But as Elsa gazed down at her newborn niece, with her wide blue eyes, dimpled cheeks, and freckles, she realized she was looking at the spitting image of Anna, and her heart immediately overflowed with love. She silently vowed that from that day forward, she would protect her from anyone or anything that tried to harm her.

"I love you," she whispered, and she gently kissed Kirsten's cheek. She lightly brushed Kirsten's tiny hand with her finger, and Kirsten immediately grasped it. She gasped in surprise.

"What is it, Elsa?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked at her. "She—she's holding my finger." She looked back down at Kirsten, who had now fallen asleep, her hand still holding Elsa's finger.

"She likes you," said Anna, smiling.

"Yeah," said Elsa quietly. Until today, she hadn't realize she had so much love in her heart, but now that she did, it made her the happiest she had ever been.

Anna leaned towards Kristoff and whispered, "I think Elsa's formed a bond with our baby girl."

"What makes you say that?" Kristoff asked, smiling.

Anna shrugged. "Woman's intuition," she said, and she took his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. She looked at her family and couldn't believe she had been the one responsible for bringing them together. She loved them with all her heart and would never stop.

* * *

**Whew! This turned out to be quite a bit longer than I anticipated, but I think it turned out just fine. If you remember from the last chapter of "Opening New Doors", I had Kristoff talking to Fredrik about what it had been like for him waiting for Anna to give birth: how her pains had also started in the early morning but Kirsten wasn't born till early afternoon, how the sisters had kicked him out of the room and the reason for that, and how anxious he had been in general. I tried to incorporate those bits with as much detail as I could. **

**Again, hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading! :)**


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